shafnutz05 wrote:One thing I noticed last night...CONSTANT "shot, rebound, clear" sequences in the Ottawa zone. There was nobody in front of the net doing the dirty work.

I noticed a lack of puck support all around. They did play good enough to win though. Really thought we had it when the refs "gifted" us that late PP in regulation. Since no one has said it.... this loss falls on Mr. Bylsma and the execution of that putrid play.

Kunitz FMalkin FLetang F (I wouldn't reward him with a Norris based strictly off of this play regardless if it's postseason. He didn't even peek over his shoulder. Fail.)

Last edited by SoupOrSam on Mon May 20, 2013 7:59 am, edited 1 time in total.

We can make all the excuses we want for the Pens. One cannot argue that this is a bad loss. Not because I think they wont win the series, but because of the collective drain this puts on their bodies, that did not need to be taken. Looking at the big picure, OT losses, especially long OT, hurts a team physically, IMO.

Now, hopefully they win the next 2 and get a little rest. Then this wont matter at all.

CERV96 wrote:Anderson looked like the goaltender everyone hyped him up as last night or did we make him look like that? That seems to be the question.

I felt that most of the shots went uncontested last night. Nobody crashed/banged the net.

Very little traffic indeed.

Iggy is really starting to concern me 5 on 5. Same with Malkin and his brain farts, that line has one skill - Malkin fly around like a mad man and often enough embarrass a few defenders and get a quality chance.

It was nice to see a more concerned overall team defensive effort. Although Ottawa didn't do too much net crashing either.

Malkamaniac wrote:I get the vibe Neal is more hurt than is putting on. He's either behind the play, or sprawled out on the ice because he can't skate.

I tend to agree. I'm not a real Neal fan but he looks like he's going at about 70% right now. He doesn't make the moves to the tough areas of the ice with any precision/decisiveness that he does have, and seems slow and off-balance.

With him, Morrow and Iggy, they should form a band called Fall Down Boy because all 3 are swimming around the ice a lot this series. Not saying that any of them suck, but they aren't winning a lot of 50/50 battles and all look really slow. Ottawa is a fairly quick team forward-wise and not so much on D once you get past EK and they aren't the Isles who can move. I'm kind of concerned about later in the playoffs with what I'm seeing now, especially if its CHI.

^ This goes back to the players are not put in a position to succeed. This lesson should have been learned last season with Martin. I am not on the whole DB hater association but I think he can do a lot better.

shafnutz05 wrote:One thing I noticed last night...CONSTANT "shot, rebound, clear" sequences in the Ottawa zone. There was nobody in front of the net doing the dirty work.

I noticed a lack of puck support all around. They did play good enough to win though. Really thought we had it when the refs "gifted" us that late PP in regulation. Since no one has said it.... this loss falls on Mr. Bylsma and the execution of that putrid play.

Kunitz FMalkin FLetang F (I wouldn't reward him with a Norris based strictly off of this play regardless if it's postseason. He didn't even peek over his shoulder. Fail.)

One thing I would like Letang to be more aware of is when Malkin or Crosby is on the ice. He neutralized one or the other of them multiple times just in the OT periods that I saw by going low into the zone forcing the Pens most talented and skilled players to sit at the point instead of working down low. He just needs to be more aware of what is going on. If Crosby or Malkin is on the ice don't go deep in the zone. Let those guys get in there because they're better.

In all seriousness - Fleury would have been crucified for giving up those two goals last night, especially the overtime one. There would be 10 threads up this morning on his lack of rebound control or some other stupid **** about how he's a headcase in OT.

Vokoun wasn't really tested last night, or for that matter in any of these games. Ottawa hasn't generated all that much offensivly other than getting knocked on their ass in the crease area. He's doing exactly what he should be doing.

Guinness wrote:I don't know how anyone could crucify any goalie for the tying goal.

Surreal to me that Alfie somehow got in alone with under a minute to go when PGH was on a power play.

Of course not - but we all know that if Fleury was in goal - he'd somehow be to blame.

One nice thing about having Vokoun in net - is the instant change in analyzing goals by the LGP community. Suddenly some thought goes into defensive resonsibilities as opposed to just blaming the goalie. It's quite refreshing.

AlexPKeaton wrote:Vokoun has a 0.949 save percentage through 5 playoff games. The Pens in their history have never had playoff goaltending this strong.

I'm pretty sure there have been other 5 game stretches where Pens goaltenders have put up numbers like that. Tugnut immediately comes to mind, but I think Wregget, Hedberg and Barrasso have had stretches like that. Playoffs aren't over yet.

Vokoun has been solid, but far from remarkable IMO. The numbers are representative of a consistent team effort.